Steagall, Joy F., a minister of the Methodist Episcopal Cluirch, South, was born in Jasper County, tia., I)ec. 4, 1.S07, and united with the Church when twelve years of age. He was admitted on trial into the (Je<irgia Conference in 1834, and continued in the active ministry till within two years of his death, April y. 1«48. .See Minutes of Annual Conferences of the M. E. Church, South, 1«49, p. 202,
Steal (-3;, icXfTrrw). The Mosaic law on the sub- ject of stealing is contained in Exod. xxii, and consists of the following enactments:
1. He who stole and killed an ox or a sheep was to restore five o.xeii for the ox, and four sheep for the bheep.
2. If the stolen animal was found alive, the thief was to restore double.
3. If a man was found stealing in a dwelling-house at night and was killed in the act, the homicide was not held guilty of murder.
4. If the act was committed during daylight, the thief might not be killed, but was bound to make full reittitution or be sold into slavery.
b. If money or goods deposited in a man's house were stolen therefrom, the thief, when detected, was to pay doulile ; but
G. If the thief coidd not be found, the master of the houHe was to Im; examined before the judges.
7, If an animal given in charge to a man to keep was siohii from hitn, i. e. through his negligence, he wa.s to make rrstitution to ilie owner. .See Oath.
There Heems to be no reason t<» 8up[)ose that the law underwent any alteration in .Solomon's time,asMichaeli8 iiupp<»8e»; the expression in Prov. vi, 30, 31 is that a thief detected in stealing shouM restore sevenfold, i. e. to the full amount, and for this purpose even give all the Hul><<tan(')' of his house, and thus in case of failure be liable to m rviimli- ( Michaelis, Laws <f Muses, § 284).
On the other hand, see Bertheau on Prov. vi; and Keil, .4 /•(•/(. Ilebr. § 154. Man-stealing was punishable with death (Exod. xxi, 16; Deut. xxiv, 7). Invasion of right in land was strictly forbidden (xxvii, 17; Isa. v, 8 ; Mic. ii, 2).— Smith. See Theft.
Stearne. See Stekne.
Stearns, Charles, a L'nitarian minister, was born at Leominster, ]Mass., July 19, 1753; entered Harvard University in 17C9, and graduated in 1773. Immedi- ately upon graduation he commenced to teach, and dur- ing 1780 and 1781 he was tutor at Cambridge. He was first employed to preach at Lincoln in October, 1780, over wliich Church he was installed Nov. 7, 1781. In 1792 he became principal of a high-school in Lin- coln, which continued ten years. In 1810 he received the degree of D.D. from Harvard University. He died July 26, 1826. He published. The Ladies' Philosophy of Love (1797), a poem: — Dramatic iJialof/ues for the. Use of Schools (1798) : — Principles of Religion and Mo- rality (1798; 2d ed. 1807) ■.—Sermom (1792, 1806, 1815, etc.). See Sprague, Annuls of the Amer, Pulpit, viii, 147.
Stearns, Josiah, a Congregational minister, was born at Billerica, Mass., Jan. 20, 1732, and graduated from Harvard University in 1751. He was ordained pastor of the Church in Epping, N. IL, Jlarch 8, 1758. He adopted and earnestly advocated the principles of the Revolution, sending his elder sons into the army, and sacrificing most of his worldly interest in support of the American cause. Mr. Stearns was a close and thorough student, and, although his slender means would not allow him to possess much of a librarv', he was favored with the use of books by friends. He died at Epping, July 25, 1788. Five of his occasional ser- mons were published. See Sprague, Annals of the A mer. Pulpit, i, 575.
Stearns, Samuel, a Congregational minister, son of the preceding, was born at Epjiing. N. H., April 8, 1770. He fitted for college at lixeter Academy, enter- ed Dartmouth in 1790, whence he removed in his junior year to Cambridge, and graduated at Harvard in 1794. He studied theology under Kev. Jonathan French, of Andover, and was ordained minister of the town of Bedford April 27, 1795. On Nov. 14, 1831, a vote was p,i.ssed in town meeting to occupy the pulpit for a cer- tain number of Sundays during the ensuing winter with Unitarian preachers. A new society was conse- quently formed under the name of the Trinitarian Con- gregational Society, June 5, 1833; and Jlr. Stearns be- came its minister, which connection he held till his death, Dec. 26, 1834. He published six occasional Ser- mons and Discourses (1807-22), and an Address (1815). See Sprague, Annals (f the Amer. Pulpit, i, 579.
Stearns, Samuel Horatio, a Congregational minister, son of the preceding, was born at Bedford, Mass., Sept. 12, 1801. In 1816 he entered Phillips Academy, Andover, where he underwent a change of heart, and made a puiilic profession of religion in June, 1817. He entered Harvard College in 1819. from which he graduated in 1823. After leaving college, he be- came a te.icher in Phillips Academy, where he remained until 1825, when he entered the Theological Seminary at Andover, leaving it in 1828. His health was in such a feel)le condition that he would not consider himself a candidate for settlement until 1834, in which year, on April 16, he was ordained pastor of the Old South Church, Boston. After preaching for three Sabbaths, he was compelled to cease, and returned to Bedford. In June, 1835, he commenced to travel in jmrsuit of health, and so far recovered as to anticipate a resump- tion of labors among his jieople. But this was found to be too dangerous an experiment, and lie sought a dismissal, which was granted him in February, 1836. He went abroad in the following .lime and died in Par- is, July 15, 1837. His Life and Select Discourses were